Naruto. Yeah, it's the typical Protagonist trying to get to the top, but unlike most Shonens, the main character has alot of struggles and alot of other characters are given development and the series can get REALLY DARK. Like how Obito became Tobi, The secret truth about Itachi, and of course the whole entire Pain Invasion when Pain just didn't give a shit! He just destroyed everything to take out single person! If that's not cold blooded or dark, then I don't know what the hell is!

I agree with all the people who say Hunter X Hunter. It is brilliant. Plot wise probably the best shounen I have seen. My only problem with it is Gon. I dislike how his character is sort of "too innocent". That said I love the darker undertone to the series with Kurapika, Killua and the Phantom troupe.

Rurouni Kenshin
This is what I consider THE best Jump series. Everything about it is so well made that is seems way too perfect. the drama is some of the most well written in the genre. Still upset that the Jinchuu Arc was never animated. :(

No one's gonna say it eh?
Disappointing... although i totally agree with hunter x hunter, but theirs one other.
Welcome to akame ga kill, the only other series i know that is misleading with there art style like hunter x hunter.

Definitely a shounen, definitely a story with the importance of friends and family and strong MCs but... the characters are all flawed humans who rise above their shortcomings (lol sorry Ed) to protect what is important to them. That rise comes with losses, but with losses comes growth.

Silver Spoon's classed as a Shounen apparently. I'd say it's a Shoujo story stylised as a Shounen, much like Natsume is a Shounen made as a Shoujo.

As for the more shounenesque ones, I'd probably say Attack on Titan. Because shounens tend to be very actiony, and visually appealing, a lot fail to be particularly well-written, have poorly designed characters, or have them react unnaturally to situations. AoT does none of this. It has excellent writing (and has probably the only case of a motivational speech that is relevant, motivating, and clear as to how it motivates the characters), brilliant and believable character designs, and the reasons for their actions are the sorts that real people have. And even with all this, it still manages to be beautiful and intense. On top of this, most shounens shy away from having characters die, but AoT even frequently kills off secondary characters, since it's set in a world where death is so prevalent. It makes it that much more intense, and gives so much more meaning to what the characters are doing.